“Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book” by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher: Disney Press
Year: 2017
Genre(s): young adult, fantasy, adventure
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 2

Why I read it: Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie

Summary: After the Beast gives Belle the library as a gift, she discovers that even the books can be magic. One allows her to escape the castle and travel to places, see things and enjoy adventures she had only ever read about. But as she escapes more and more into the book, will she find danger in living in a fantasy or will it prove to be key to her liberation?

Rating: 

Review: I absolutely loved this book. The only reason I didn’t give it five moons is because I wished there had been more between Belle and Beast, especially as this is set after Beast rescues her from the wolves. In the movie(s), that is when Belle starts to warm to him and I would’ve loved to see more of their budding relationship.

However, that was really my only quibble with this book.

I enjoyed the premise of Belle finding a magical book that could take her away to new places, allow her to experience the life she had only imagined while reading her books. As a reader myself, I had wished to vanish into the worlds and places I’ve read about – tropical islands, Paris, London, Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Roaring 20s, etc. Belle’s pull toward the book was very relatable.

And I enjoyed the characters Donnelly created in this book-within-a-book. It felt like they did have real connections with Belle but Donnelly planted clues that all was not what it seemed. Belle’s ultimate escape from the book was very well done and one of the highlights of the book.

Even if I wished we had gotten more between Belle and Beast, I loved how Donnelly captured Belle’s relationship with Chip. It was one of the sweetest parts of the book and I enjoyed reading their scenes together.

Could you read this book if you’re not familiar with either version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? You might be okay but it probably is helpful to at least have some knowledge of it. While there is some character development, I think already being familiar with these characters and who they are will make the story make more sense. I feel like Donnelly didn’t really have to establish these characters in the way we see in other books but also that she didn’t have to because they are known characters.

However, I’m sure that if you’re picking up this book, it’s because you’re already familiar with the movie(s). And if you love the movie(s) as much as I do, then you’re going to love this book as well.

Bottom line: A great read for anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast or ever wanted to literally escape into a book.

Sex: No. It’s a Disney book.

Moonlight Musing

What would you do if you found a magical book?